Morgan ready for T20 captaincy challenge

Eoin Morgan, England's stand-in T20 captain, has said the two T20 internationals with India before Christmas will provide a young squad with the chance to begin formulating their plans for the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

England, the 2010 World T20 champions, were knocked out of this year's tournament in Sri Lanka at the Super Eights stage, a performance Morgan said didn't meet the team's own expectations. With T20 captain Stuart Broad injured, Morgan will step up to lead the side in Pune on Thursday and he hoped that a very different set of players could replicate England's historic Test success.

"As we've seen in the past, when the Test side has done well, it's had a knock-on effect with the other two teams - and certainly we'll be looking to win these two games and take confidence and momentum from the Test side and keep the winning habit up," Morgan said.

"Sri Lanka was a bit of a disappointment - we certainly didn't achieve any of our expectations or perform in crucial games when we really needed to. There were a number of areas we looked at and identified, and we hope we'll produce the performances which will catch up the learning curve we're going through at the moment.

"It's in preparation for Bangladesh, and the young guys coming through have fantastic potential. I hope they'll perform over the next four or five days."

Morgan has led England in a single ODI in the past, against Ireland in 2011, but is one of the senior members of the T20I squad. Of the Test touring party, only Morgan, Tim Bresnan, Samit Patel, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have remained in India for the T20I leg. Graeme Swann, Steven Finn and Kevin Pietersen are among those rested, while Broad is recuperating from a heel problem and Craig Kieswetter and Ravi Bopara have been dropped.

England struggled in their World T20 defence and only managed to beat Afghanistan and New Zealand. Their heavy group-stage defeat to India underlined concerns about playing spin and, although they appear to have worked out a method in Test cricket, the scoring rate required to be competitive in T20 cricket could cloud minds once again.

Morgan was himself injured for England's only previous T20I assignment in India, which they won by six wickets, but he was upbeat about leading a new-look side. "It's a great opportunity for me in these two games against one of the best sides in the world in their backyard," he said. "It's certainly going to be a challenge I'm looking forward to."

Although Morgan has not had many opportunities to play so far in India, his two innings on tour have produced scores of 76 against Mumbai A and 47 in the England Performance Programme's win over the Dr DY Patil Academy. After being given further responsibility by Broad's absence, Morgan said he was ready to make the leap from reserve to captain.

"Being vice-captain of the Twenty20 side in the first place, you're always going to be thrust into a situation where the captain might get injured," Morgan said. "It's something not that I've prepared for it, but mentally you think if something happens to Broady then you might get the chance. Really, I'm quite happy to take the reins."

I hope Morgan goes well - I'd much rather see him or Swann captaining the T20 side over Broad. The side looked good when Swann took over for a couple of games last year, and Morgan just strikes me as the type of cricketer who'd enjoy captaincy. Broad's efforts have been dire - tactically not great, and it's affected his bowling too. If Mogs can get this inexperienced side competing against India, I'd say he's done a pretty good job.

imrankhan76uk
on December 20, 2012, 10:47 GMT

India is fav for these T20s in home conditions..but England still have good chance if their T20 specialists click.......on the other hand we have much fun with the "Revenge Joke", made me laugh alot through out the Test series. now can we postpone it untill next Test series???

Anwar-Lara
on December 20, 2012, 10:22 GMT

Revenge ... lolzzzzz a true cricket lover will know the difference b/w a test win and a t20 win...

jmcilhinney
on December 20, 2012, 7:20 GMT

@SurlyCynic on (December 19 2012, 23:04 PM GMT), I agree with landl47 that Morgan is not likely to ever find a regular place in the England Test team but our opinions don't matter. He was picked in the Test squad for this India tour so he is obviously still in the selectors minds. I think that Bairstow and Taylor will likely be preferred at #6 going forward though, with Morgan's experience in India probably being a factor in his recent selection. What actually matters though is what Morgan himself thinks. If he wants to play Test cricket and he thinks he's a chance then he will undoubtedly remain eligible for selection. Even if he resigns himself to not playing Test cricket though, there are two very good reasons that he'd be unlikely to return to Ireland. The number of games and the standard of the opposition would be lower than he's now used to and he'd have to sit out a requalification period. As a mainstay of England's ODI & T20 sides, unlike Ed Joyce, why would he do that?

Narbavi
on December 20, 2012, 5:42 GMT

@gsingh7: Oh for heaven's sake don't call this as revenge, this is nothing but one off t20's , no one cares about the result, all we would want to see is some entertainment, i would wait for our team to beat england in a test before terming it as a revenge

cooljack_143
on December 20, 2012, 5:41 GMT

REVENGE SERIES FOR INDIA..T20 is the best cricket.Test cricket is just waste of time..Ind is gonna win by 2-0 & 5-0 keep watching..Without Cook this Eng side is Nothing.. Fast track bullies:-)

RajanBorna
on December 20, 2012, 2:18 GMT

@qsingh, what do mean by revengae ? lolzzzz.......if India win next 7 T20 straight still not eual to one single test win ...learn what is cricket first :)

wapp
on December 20, 2012, 0:56 GMT

So... when are the ECB making the change to the CCB 'Commonwealth Cricket Board'? It's easier to say than the 'England and Wales, and South African, and Irish, and anyone else with dual citizenship - Cricket Board'.

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:42 GMT

Come on the real "Team Blue"

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:41 GMT

And the comments section starts with a highly predictable comment from an equally predictable source. Where's Jonesy2 to add his views?

SDHM
on December 20, 2012, 12:57 GMT

I hope Morgan goes well - I'd much rather see him or Swann captaining the T20 side over Broad. The side looked good when Swann took over for a couple of games last year, and Morgan just strikes me as the type of cricketer who'd enjoy captaincy. Broad's efforts have been dire - tactically not great, and it's affected his bowling too. If Mogs can get this inexperienced side competing against India, I'd say he's done a pretty good job.

imrankhan76uk
on December 20, 2012, 10:47 GMT

India is fav for these T20s in home conditions..but England still have good chance if their T20 specialists click.......on the other hand we have much fun with the "Revenge Joke", made me laugh alot through out the Test series. now can we postpone it untill next Test series???

Anwar-Lara
on December 20, 2012, 10:22 GMT

Revenge ... lolzzzzz a true cricket lover will know the difference b/w a test win and a t20 win...

jmcilhinney
on December 20, 2012, 7:20 GMT

@SurlyCynic on (December 19 2012, 23:04 PM GMT), I agree with landl47 that Morgan is not likely to ever find a regular place in the England Test team but our opinions don't matter. He was picked in the Test squad for this India tour so he is obviously still in the selectors minds. I think that Bairstow and Taylor will likely be preferred at #6 going forward though, with Morgan's experience in India probably being a factor in his recent selection. What actually matters though is what Morgan himself thinks. If he wants to play Test cricket and he thinks he's a chance then he will undoubtedly remain eligible for selection. Even if he resigns himself to not playing Test cricket though, there are two very good reasons that he'd be unlikely to return to Ireland. The number of games and the standard of the opposition would be lower than he's now used to and he'd have to sit out a requalification period. As a mainstay of England's ODI & T20 sides, unlike Ed Joyce, why would he do that?

Narbavi
on December 20, 2012, 5:42 GMT

@gsingh7: Oh for heaven's sake don't call this as revenge, this is nothing but one off t20's , no one cares about the result, all we would want to see is some entertainment, i would wait for our team to beat england in a test before terming it as a revenge

cooljack_143
on December 20, 2012, 5:41 GMT

REVENGE SERIES FOR INDIA..T20 is the best cricket.Test cricket is just waste of time..Ind is gonna win by 2-0 & 5-0 keep watching..Without Cook this Eng side is Nothing.. Fast track bullies:-)

RajanBorna
on December 20, 2012, 2:18 GMT

@qsingh, what do mean by revengae ? lolzzzz.......if India win next 7 T20 straight still not eual to one single test win ...learn what is cricket first :)

wapp
on December 20, 2012, 0:56 GMT

So... when are the ECB making the change to the CCB 'Commonwealth Cricket Board'? It's easier to say than the 'England and Wales, and South African, and Irish, and anyone else with dual citizenship - Cricket Board'.

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:42 GMT

Come on the real "Team Blue"

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:41 GMT

And the comments section starts with a highly predictable comment from an equally predictable source. Where's Jonesy2 to add his views?

SurlyCynic
on December 19, 2012, 23:04 GMT

landl47: If Morgan is 'never going to be a test player', then surely he should go back to his real country Ireland and play ODIs and T20s for them? Seems farcical that the captain of the England team doesn't even have a British passport.

jmcilhinney
on December 19, 2012, 23:02 GMT

@gsingh7 on (December 19 2012, 20:59 PM GMT), revenge for what exactly? For England's T20 win last time they toured India?

landl47
on December 19, 2012, 21:37 GMT

If Morgan does well, maybe this might be his gateway to a career as a short-format captain. Stuart Broad doesn't really look like captaincy material to me and should probably concentrate on his bowling (and maybe not play T20 at all). I don't think Morgan is ever going to be a test player, so this might be a great fit for him. He's got a below-strength team for this game, so if he could give the Indians a good run for their money it would be a fine achievement. Best of luck to him.

gsingh7
on December 19, 2012, 20:59 GMT

it wud be a disappointing start for irish morgan with revenge on cards for team blue. come on INDIA

No featured comments at the moment.

gsingh7
on December 19, 2012, 20:59 GMT

it wud be a disappointing start for irish morgan with revenge on cards for team blue. come on INDIA

landl47
on December 19, 2012, 21:37 GMT

If Morgan does well, maybe this might be his gateway to a career as a short-format captain. Stuart Broad doesn't really look like captaincy material to me and should probably concentrate on his bowling (and maybe not play T20 at all). I don't think Morgan is ever going to be a test player, so this might be a great fit for him. He's got a below-strength team for this game, so if he could give the Indians a good run for their money it would be a fine achievement. Best of luck to him.

jmcilhinney
on December 19, 2012, 23:02 GMT

@gsingh7 on (December 19 2012, 20:59 PM GMT), revenge for what exactly? For England's T20 win last time they toured India?

SurlyCynic
on December 19, 2012, 23:04 GMT

landl47: If Morgan is 'never going to be a test player', then surely he should go back to his real country Ireland and play ODIs and T20s for them? Seems farcical that the captain of the England team doesn't even have a British passport.

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:41 GMT

And the comments section starts with a highly predictable comment from an equally predictable source. Where's Jonesy2 to add his views?

yorkshirematt
on December 19, 2012, 23:42 GMT

Come on the real "Team Blue"

wapp
on December 20, 2012, 0:56 GMT

So... when are the ECB making the change to the CCB 'Commonwealth Cricket Board'? It's easier to say than the 'England and Wales, and South African, and Irish, and anyone else with dual citizenship - Cricket Board'.

RajanBorna
on December 20, 2012, 2:18 GMT

@qsingh, what do mean by revengae ? lolzzzz.......if India win next 7 T20 straight still not eual to one single test win ...learn what is cricket first :)

cooljack_143
on December 20, 2012, 5:41 GMT

REVENGE SERIES FOR INDIA..T20 is the best cricket.Test cricket is just waste of time..Ind is gonna win by 2-0 & 5-0 keep watching..Without Cook this Eng side is Nothing.. Fast track bullies:-)

Narbavi
on December 20, 2012, 5:42 GMT

@gsingh7: Oh for heaven's sake don't call this as revenge, this is nothing but one off t20's , no one cares about the result, all we would want to see is some entertainment, i would wait for our team to beat england in a test before terming it as a revenge